Sometimes…a lot of times…I think I am an awful parent. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not one of those moms who lives for her children. I am Pecan first, Penguin second, Mom third. My identity is really important to me. In many ways that makes me act selfishly and I carry a hefty amount of guilt related to that for not being good enough as a mother.

Then, yesterday happens.

I had a friend come and speak to one of my classes about gender identity/discrimination/equality. Class went great. Hurray! No sweat and no surprise because my students are awesome.

What I didn’t expect was my children’s ability to grasp the exact same concepts without the benefit/burden of lecture, but just because apparently Jim and I do not suck as parents.

My friend who is trans* watched it with us. We do “family night” where we watch educational material about equality and social justice issues and then we talk about them.

My sons were amazing.

“Gender identity”

“Non-conforming”

“Be who you are”

“Brave”

“Stand up for your friends”

“How is that not a hate crime?”

“He was taught to hate someone…and that’s wrong”

These are just a fraction of some of the things that came out of the mouths of my 11, 13 and 14 year olds.

Just a fraction.

They couldn’t have cared less about his gender identity and would never had known if we hadn’t had a discussion about it, they just loved having him over. But, they know that they know someone and they understand that makes their world bigger and better.

I saw more empathy from these boys than I have seen in a long time and it couldn’t have been more serendipitous.

I decided, with some trepidation, to return to Facebook. I have some rules for myself, though. One is to not get involved in religious, political or otherwise contentious pissing contests. In an effort to maintain my sanity, I’m going to try out a series whereby I passive-aggressively respond to the ridiculousness I see there here. That way, I can have my say and not burn down relationships with people I love.

Episode 1:

Well, at least they don’t list Mary Magdalene as a whore. I’m unsure why we would consider those who are short, have speech-impediments, are skeptical, drink or are aging to be imperfect. It’s rife with all the -isms. It also misses a golden opportunity to scream HYPOCRITE! to about 10 people who I’ve seen post this.

As a fat girl myself, I’m all for body/sex/fat positive stuff. But that isn’t all a scale is telling you. Especially since your “relationship” (mine is rather complicated, as evidenced by all my bruising. Hey! come to think of it, I haven’t fallen down in a while) with gravity isn’t constant (see the moon) and your body fat percentage is what it is no matter what celestial body you happen to inhabit.

Dear people of the car rider line…your child shouldn’t need a teacher to open their door to get out of the car. SHOULD your child require this…park yo butt and stop holding the line up!

All the abelism…all of it.

and my favorite

Well, let’s talk about this…

2/3 of those who receive state benefits are children, the elderly and the disabled. Another portion include veterans and the currently enlisted and their families.

Several studies, including a 1996 report from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, have found that there is no significant difference in the rate of illegal-drug use by welfare applicants and other people. Another study found that 70% of illegal-drug users between the age of 18 and 49 are employed full time.

A Florida television station, WFTV, reported that of the first 40 applicants tested, only two came up positive, and one of those was appealing. The state stands to save less than $240 a month if it denies benefits to the two applicants, but it had to pay $1,140 to the applicants who tested negative. The state will also have to spend considerably more to defend the policy in court.

And it’s unconstitutional because you have to have probably cause to search someone, it can’t be preemptive.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, writing for the majority, said that the drug testing was an unreasonable search. The state can impose drug tests in exceptional cases, when there is a public-safety need for them (as with bus and train operators, for instance). But the Fourth Amendment does not allow the state to diminish “personal privacy for a symbol’s sake,” the court said.

The reason your employer can make you take a drug test is because they are not the government and they are not bound by the Fourth Amendment. Don’t like being drug tested by your employer? Form a union and put it in the union contract that your employer cannot drug test you without probable cause. To simplify this, the government cannot search your person (peeing in a cup is searching your person) without probable cause. Being poor is not probable cause. Your employer has a fairly wide latitude of things that it can require as a condition of employment.

and this

Fact one, drug testing by the government without probable cause is in violation of the Fourth Amendment. Fact two, in the studies done so far, there is no benefit to performing these drug tests. Fact three, your employer is not the government and is not bound by the Fourth Amendment. Fact four, drug abuse is not just restricted to the poor. It goes across all social classes, and just because the poor have no voice does not mean that they can be made into scapegoats.

Because my summer has sucked for training. I hated the heat. My family life was completely chaotic. I’ve struggled to get back on track.

I was already committed to a 5k my sister was a part of organizing. I had a great time, so decided to go with my love for racing and sign up for a 10k (which was weird and awful to run, but I placed!) and this half-marathon.

I hurt. I puked. I even used the port-a-John on course which I never do. However I did PR, which is a testament to the training I did through Fitz at strengthrunning.com before I got in a rut. I also have quit drinking completely so I’m a few pounds down, which is a great help.

It was a good race, beautiful weather, great volunteers and law enforcement (some cray-cray behind the wheel. A reminder to be patient on race day, people.)

I just wasn’t where I wanted to be. I will do what @tai_Fung says and bask in my 8:00 PR…and then get my ass in gear for Savannah.

I, once again, took on as many classes as they would let me teach. At $2300 per three hour class, I felt like I had no choice. At this point, I’m going to have to do the same thing in the Spring, assuming they even want me back.

Due to family struggles, I don’t feel like I can teach fewer classes. Due to those same struggles, I feel less sure of myself, much more anxious and borderline hopeless at reaching my students.

Then, I have a good day. Thank Bob for those days.

I feel like I’m getting the hang of being a face-to-face teacher. I’ve implemented the things I said I would (grade policies, talking to my students about how the class is going, being kind and understanding even when I have to say, “no”) and I’m succeeding at some of them.

I’m still struggling with names. I guess I can’t get it all.

If you’re a student, please know that it’s hard to stand in front of a room full of twenty-somethings, sometimes with sweat stains, occasionally saying the inappropriate thing, driving difficult discussions about heated topics…and feel confident.

I love what I do. I think I can be really good at it. I just want to know that my new institution will give me the time to grow into that person…preferably while not driving me to the poor-house in the meantime.

Recently, I’ve been doing my best to support a friend going through a break-up. At first, it was fairly straight forward. Listen to the problems, try to give sound advice, attempt to maintain a friendship with both parties.

Somewhere in there, for a number of reasons, the “he” in that relationship decided I was a threat. Or something. Even though I am very close to the “she” in this scenario, I’d like to think the feelings and advice I had about the relationship, subsequent make-ups and break-ups would have stayed basically the same. Some people just become toxic together and the only way to deal with that, in my opinion, is to cauterize the wound. Just cut the infection and burn the shit out of the traumatized area to seal it off from germs and further festering.

Easier said than done, right?

In any event, what was once a pretty basic friendly acquaintanceship with him has turned into something really ugly.

To be sure, I am not blameless…he irritates me and picks at me like a middle-school boy intentionally pulling hair and trying to bully a girl into crying. A set of activities I generally feel should be met with sarcasm and “mouthiness” (which, quite honestly is some sexist bullshit, but whatever.)

My point being, when drinking I have little ability to curb my comments.

Since this has turned sour for me as well, I’m being made aware of how this other person views me. Vindictive, meddlesome, insincere, and rude.

In general, I don’t think I’m any of those things. However, if I put myself in his shoes, I can definitely see how he would think that. I’ve given advice, advice that is in direct opposition to what he’d like to see happen, when asked by her. I suppose that would be seen as meddlesome. Maybe due to that advice and the closeness of my relationship to her the next logical step would be a need to get revenge on her behalf for wrongs I feel he has brought to bear on her entire mental well-being. I’m not generally vengeful and I try very hard not to act on behalf of others unless they want me to…but maybe I do have ulterior motives. I don’t think I do, but I’m willing to entertain the idea.

Insincerity is something I don’t have a lot of patience for, neither for rudeness. Though, I will say, if I’m being outright rude, it’s generally because occasionally Southern charm takes a backseat to sincerity.

The problem is at this point, I’m completely incapable of objective opinion. I can’t help her anymore without it being partially an attempt to help myself. I can’t stand the idea of my name being in other people’s mouths, especially his. At this moment, I can’t stand to talk about him anymore.

I’m not sure how I can continue to give anything but a sympathetic ear when I clearly have dog in this fight…as ridiculous and infuriating as that is. And to be honest, I’m not sure how sympathetic I even feel. I feel slighted so I’m looking to project an expectation of loyalty on my friend…which really sucks. I find the need to control others to be distasteful and usually fruitless.

In reality, all those things he rattled off about me are things I think about him and worse. And since I can only view this situation through the lens of my own personal perception (which right now is colored with lots of trauma and anxiety and stress) he’s coming out looking quite like a pile of shit. It’s real hard for me to take the opinions of those with no sense of personal responsibility seriously, except that in some way, he has the ear of someone I care for and now I feel threatened and that makes me feel weak.

Not sure how to move forward…guess I’ll take a note from my husband’s playbook and consider the possibilities of non-personhood for someone for whom I feel only contempt and loathing.

I just had the horrifying experience of killing someone’s pet. A tiny chihuahua standing in the middle of Gloster Rd. Those of you who have been to my home know the one. It’s busy and barely safe to walk on for humans.

I didn’t see it until it was too late. I’m distraught, the owner comes and scoops up the poor puppy corpse and just repeats, “It’s okay. It’s okay.”

Which of course it’s not.

All I can say is I’m sorry. I’m sorry over and over, tears streaming down my face.

No collar, no leash…actually comes with his other tiny dog without either and that dog almost runs in the road too. While a car passes illegally on a double yellow line.

I feel so terrible and really angry.

Protect your pets, people. That’s what you sign up for when you adopt one.